Books to change your life!

This blog has tried to feed varied tastes, and more so tried to showcase the varied interests that I share in my life! But I realized that I still haven’t given the stage to one of my most passionate interest – Books. I do not boast of being an ardent reader who devours every best seller, but I can still humbly talk of a refined taste in terms of books. The reason I treasure them so, is probably because they were the sole companions I hung on to during my periods of introvertness, and even during the period of extrovertness! I run to them in moments of solitude, and in moments of celebrations! They were privy to my fears, my flaws, and my feasts! They have seen me grow and mature, and what more! They have been a part of it!

In the first account in this blog on books, I would like to write about 2 of my most precious books, that I have in my possession. These books have been my light, my guide and my inspiration in moments of darkness, doubt, & despair. Both of these books have been authored by an eminent and renowned writer – Richard Bach.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

: The story of a seagull who flew only for the thrill of flight! The story of a being who craved to be different from others, and suffered for being so! The beginning of a journey in the path of love! This book which is slightly more than a 100 pages, with half of the pages carrying images of sea gulls, nevertheless is an ocean with waves of inspiration to flood one’s being with! I am yet to find a person who woudn’t recognize one self with the sea gull, or grow to admire it! It is a story close to our heart and talks of our struggle. It assures us of an happy ending – something which sometimes, we aren’t so sure of. These are the kind of books that leave a mark on us, an indelible one at that. However small it may be, the mark shall grow – under the right support and environment, only on the longer run to bear the fruit of happiness and contentment.

Illusions

: The book above started a journey in the path of love, while Illusions takes us into the realms of self-realization. Unless we understand ourselves, and love ourselves for being what we are, we shall never grow to love others. We need to be our saviors – our Messiahs, in order for us to heal others and more importantly ourselves! It’s all an Illusion! The World is an Illusion! The pains, sufferings, horrors we see, everything is an illusion as also the beauty! So whatz the one thing that is real? It’s the truth! A Truth that never changes! The story of how a barn stormer’s life is changed by his ‘chance’ meeting with a messiah turned barnstormer is what this book is all about. It is tough to understand the essence of the book in a single reading! What more? Read the book over and over again in different contexts, at different junctures of life, and it makes different sense each time! It is the ending of the book that still startles me to this day!

Both the books are filled with quotes that seem to make a difference into our everyday lives. These are normal things stated so profoundly under such unique circumstances, that the characters that say it stand out of the book in front of your eyes, and look directly into you and speak to you. The words hit like bolts of thunder and shake your beliefs! Sometimes, it seemed as if someone rudely threw me off of the bed in my deep slumber and brutally woke me up by shaking the hell outta me! We all tend to be comfortably settled down in what we think is our limitations, our beliefs of what we can do and what we can’t! We accept them, and make them a part of us! These are the books that convince you that we are ‘limitless… children of the Is… playful spriritual beings …’. The author writes in Illusions –

“Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they are yours”!!

“In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice”.

“The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly”.

Some of these will not hit right into us in the first reading. And I feel they must not too. I revel in digging into the essence. And both of these books however simple they may sound, are profound in every sense! Get these books if you want a treasure house for a lifetime!

Your Highness

Hmmm.. something about myself?!! One of the kind… :)

3 comments

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a must read. Simple yet philosopical. Recently I read Alchemist which is very much similar to Jontahan Livingston seagull. It’s about a simple story of a boy chasing his dreams. I suggest that book.

yeah dude! I have read Alchemist too by Paulo Coelho. “The Prophet” is also a very good book. But since I had already read Seagull and Illusions, they weren’t as hard hitting. I felt as if I was reading something that I had already read once before. Ofcourse those books still are pretty good!

U r right. I had read the book Prophet before u introduced me to Richard Bach. And I read Alchemist after reading Bach. I find each book an experience in itself. A must reads for everyone. Every reading of these books reveals a new dimension.